All That's Gilded
by pineconeface711
Summary: When Pierce Oliviera goes missing, Jess Mastriani undertakes although not exactly willing the task of bringing her home. Unfortunately for her, this case is beyond her realm, meaning that the assistance of Suze Simon is required.
1. Jess, Getting Married

_summary: _Set two years after Missing You and Twilight, and almost 3/4 of the way through Underworld. Jess Mastriani has the whole world right in front of her. No longer her broken self, she can focus on her life ahead. The only thing that's unsettling Jess is that she hasn't found a single person since Hannah. That's good, right? No more hiding from the press, no more freakish ESP. Just a nice normal life. Or so she thought until Zack Oliviera is desperate enough to find his missing daughter to coerce Jess into stepping out of retirement and reignite the spark. Only Pierce isn't willing to go back home. Jess gets pulled into a whole new reality. One that Suze Simon knows all too well. Well enough to know that ever since Pierce Oliviera came back from the dead that something is amiss.

_author notes: _I'm dying to hear feedback for this! I realize that not all of you have read everyone of these series, but please let me know, and I will write something in the next chapter to catch you up. Not all chapters will be in Jess's pov. They will alternate.

_disclaimer:_ I am not Meg Cabot, I don't own the Mediator, 1800-Where-R-U/Vanished, or Abandon series. these all belong to their respected authors, publishers, and whomever else hold rights to them.

PREFACE:

"I realize that you are concerned about your daughter's whereabouts, but this is hardly a matter for the FBI-"

"She is a citizen of the United States of America. It's your _duty _to protect her!"

"-To deal with, especially when she's barely been missing for forty eight hours. You must understand that the Federal Bureau of Investigation-"

"For God sake's my daughter has been kidnapped. Listen to me!"

A moment passed before the man on the other end of the phone answered. Inhaling to keep his calm, he continued, "I understand. If one of my children went missing, I'd go to the end of the Earth to find them-"

"Then why can't you just understand me?"

"Would you stop interrupting me, Zack?" For a moment his voice lost the calm he had kept. "I know how much you love Pierce. I do. I know you want her back, but there's simply nothing I can do without abusing my power to help you. I cannot just abandon my authority, potentially endangering the entire country while terrorists go unwatched just to find your daughter. One of thousands of missing children in the country."

Hard breathing could be heard from the other line. "I thought you were my friend, Cyrus. I thought I could turn to you when I needed you. You seemed to forget about those responsibilities during the court case. You helped my save Pierce's skin back then."

Another silence. "I shouldn't have, I know," Cyrus Krantz sighed, "but I knew how hard everything had been for you since the oil spill and then The Accident. We are friends, don't forget that, but there is simply nothing I can do. There isn't even actual proof that your daughter was kidnapped-"

"You saw the tape, Cyrus. You saw him take her!"

"There is no proof Pierce isn't involved with this man. Perhaps she ran away."

"Don't you dare accuse my daughter of being at fault, Cyrus. Don't you dare."

"I'm not," he said, trying to hold back a shout of frustration. "Pierce is _disturbed_!" Cyrus heard Zack draw in a sharp breath. "She is! Don't you even deny it."

And the defeated man could only manage, "I just want my daughter back. That's all."

Cyrus pulled his glasses off, rubbing his forehead. Then he said into the phone, "I know someone who can help, but you listen to me. You can't bring her into the press, all right? And you can't force her to help you. She's gone through some pretty rough stuff. If she says no, then that's your answer. She's someone else's daughter, you remember that."

ONE

Jess had fallen in love with the antique ring as soon as she first had laid eyes on it, which unfortunately was after it was thrown across a garage. It was fine now, and made a nice home for itself on the fourth finger on her left hand. It was beautiful, really. She could look at it all night if it was up to her. Jess had never been one for flashy, materialistic things—hell, Ruth had to force her into wearing skirt her junior year in high school—but somehow the glint of the modest ring diamond made Jess want to cry out with joy.

She's been engaged for two years now. She was supposed to wait until after college before getting married, but they decided to change things after Douglas made an _interesting _announcement. Jess had transferred to the University of Indiana, but she wouldn't be graduating on time, thanks to that brief stint at Julliard. Now instead of majoring in orchestra—or whatever exactly they called it at Julliard—she was attempting to get her teaching degree. So of course she would have to put in _another_ year before she could get her teaching diploma.

Then Douglas just ruined everything. He had been her favorite brother until this. Douglas might have let it slip that at Thanksgiving dinner that really they only wanted to hire the best teachers at the alternative, and really, he thought she'd be great, but it really wasn't his final decision to make, and that a master's degree would look better than just a plain ole bachelors.

The conversation ended with Jess promptly shoving her elbow right below his ribcage.

She wasn't looking forward to added years of school. College wasn't the piece of crap known as high school, and there wasn't as many people she wanted to punch in the face—only Joey di Josepho, but honestly the cheesy Guido accent and the hair gel were the Big No—there. It was just school and learning. Jess was so over _learning._

She wanted to graduate and get married and move on with her life.

Well at least now she was getting onto the married. After some heavy convincing, she managed to get her mother motivated to set the date for this fall. After all if she was going to be in school through her mid twenties, she felt it was just accepted to get it over with. Only she didn't use that phrasing with her mom. She used more "you can out the decorations" type words.

Only her mother didn't quite see it that way.

"Honestly Jessica, you make it sound like you're crossing the street. This is important. It's a milestone. A milestone! Now what are we going to do about invitations? Have you even thought of theme? No Jessica you are not going to send out of mass email."

So that settled it. This fall she would be Mrs. Jess Wilkins. This September.

Which was in one week.

Thinking about that, Jess tried to calm the panic that threatened to seize her throat. She loved Rob. Really, she truly did. It's just that when she actually thought about marriage and settling down… She didn't want another boy, that's for sure. But she just felt nervous. That was it. Just the nerves

It was three in the morning when she looked at the clock. Less than a week now. Oh God. But no she would be fine and Rob would be fine and everything would be done and good.

Right.

"Oh honestly Jessica, you shouldn't be sleeping in so late. There's just too much to do today." Her mother chided her at seven in the morning.

Jess tried to answer, but the response was some sort of mashed up gurgle. Instead she threw the covers back over her head, regretting that she opted to spend the week leading up to the ceremony at her parent's house rather than Rob's, which she had been living in—much to her mother's controversy—for the past two years.

"Jessica!" Her mother tore the comforter off. "Up. Now."

And that's how Jess fully woke up that morning. She realized again that though she briefly slept, it had been a dreamless sleep. As usual.

_It's just the nerves_, she told herself, ignoring the photo of a missing infant Rosemary had emailed to her to find.

It's just the nerves. The nervous energy that had come from getting engaged. The nerves from starting over at a new college. The nerves of moving in with the boy of her dreams. The nerves of pushing the wedding forward.

It was really just the nerves. That's why she hadn't been able to find anyone since Hannah those long two years ago. She was just too nervous. And too stressed. Only it frustrated Jess to no end because she wasn't broken anymore. She was Jess Mastriani, who had her life in control. So why couldn't she find anyone? So much of her time spent with ESP, she thought of it as a burden, which it was. But now that the Feds had backed off… Jess thought she could finally make peace with it.

Only nothing.

It's just because of the nerves.

"I should have skipped lunch," Ruth groaned, looking at her reflection in the mirror.

Jess shrugged, "you look fine. Really Ruth." Ruth had managed to drop those extra forty pounds she'd been carrying around throughout her adolescent years, but she would forever remain self-conscious about her waistline, which is why she choose to don a silver bridesmaid dress. Supposedly it was the new slimming shade. Jess didn't know. She let Ruth pick out the dress. Jess had implied that a quick elopement in Vegas wearing jeans and a t-shirt would suit her well enough, but both Ruth and her mother had put an end to that.

Ruth grimaced once more at her reflection. "I'll just do a fruit salad for dinner and skip breakfast for the next five days." She pulled out her purse, and started rummaging in it. "So about your hair. I was thinking maybe we could curl it…" She let the sentence hang in the air.

"Curl it?" Jess ran a finger through her short kept hair. She had let it grow enough so that it was halfway down her neck. "If you curl it, Rob'll have longer hair. I thought we were just going to do like a poof with my bangs and I dunno. Maybe put in a nice headband and uh, spray in some glitter or some crap."

Ruth blinked.

"Spray in glitter? Jessica Mastriani this is your wedding not your eighth grade semi formal!" Like either Ruth or Jess had gone to that. "Plus I bought you these." She pulled what she had been searching in her bag for.

"No way in hell am I wearing _those_."

"But Jess-"

"I _like _my short hair." Jess answered, scowling at the hair extensions Ruth held up.

"Don't you just want to feel like a princess, Jess?"

While Jess knew that Ruth was trying to be a good friend like she had been since forever, Jess was getting sick of everyone trying to change her.

"No. I want to feel like Jess Mastriani, not like Barbie."

Ruth didn't say anything after that.

That night Jess Mastriani woke up in a plane.

Hold on. Let's back it up a minute.

She was riding Blue Beauty downtown when her cell phone started ringing. She ignored it, as she did the speed limit. But by the time she made it through three red lights, it didn't stop buzzing. She pulled over to the side, and didn't recognize the number or the area code.

"Hello?"

An unfamiliar voice answered back, "Jessica Mastriani?"

Not answering the question she replied, "who is this? How'd you get my number?"

Silence greeted her, which only increased her nerves. Great. Jess felt a lump form in her throat. Just what she needed. Creepy guys calling her.

"Please don't feel threatened Ms. Mastriani. I need your help. My daughter…" She detected a large trace of sorrow in his voice. "I need you to find her."

Jess groaned.

"Look, I don't where you got this number, but I don't do that anymore, okay? The spark's gone. The energy's fizzled. The bomb's defused." It's not like she didn't want to help. It's just that this time she really couldn't.

She was about to press the end button, until his voice interrupted her, "please Miss Mastriani. I would not be calling an amateur if I wasn't desperate."

Whoa, whoa, whoa wait just a minute. Amatuer. _Amatuer_. Jess Mastriani was not an amateur. She had not found every single missing person for two and a half years, including notorious war criminals to gain the reputation of an amateur. Maybe the ESP turned itself off now, but that didn't mean her record did.

"Uh, excuse me, but I am a professional. With a _military _record." She couldn't contain the annoyance in her voice. "I'm sorry about your daughter. But I can't find her. I'm busy too, like I'm getting married in a few days. Seriously the ESP isn't working anymore. I'm sure the police-"

"You don't get it!" The voice blared back at her. "The police haven't even ruled it as a kidnapping yet. They…" And suddenly the hard-wired started crying in the phone. Jess felt bad, she really did. If it was up to her, she would give this guy his daughter back. But it wasn't. "Please just look at her photo." Then suddenly she got a new picture message. Lo and behold it was a girl no older than Hannah.

"I'm really sorry, sir." Then Jess hung up the phone.

It was dark by the time Jess decided to head home. She was flying past the cornfields on a deserted road when the car came out of nowhere. Jess couldn't think coherently about what had happened until she was twenty feet in the air, and Blue Beauty was in pieces in the road. Then everything went black.

"Are you feeling alright, Ms. Mastriani? I could get you an Advil or some water…"

"Meeehrushpmph," was the answer Jess gave, finally sitting up. Man her head was pounding. And God did her back hurt. Then she remembered the accident. "What happened? Where am I?"

The man sat across from her smiled pleasantly, as if getting your motorcycle totaled was good thing.

"You see Miss Mastriani, I really need your help." That voice. A few hours ago it sounded unfamiliar, but now she was quite acquainted with it.

"You serious right now?" Jess said. She could feel her eyes practically bug out of her face. "You did not just _kidnap _me. You have no idea how upset my mother is going to be when I don't come home."

His face darkened considerably. "As a matter of fact, I am well aware of how devastated mothers can be when their children don't come home."

Oh right. His daughter had been kidnapped.

"You've been out for a good few hours. I expect that you know good and well where Pierce is."

Jess was about to started her "I Don't Have 'The Gift' Anymore" speech when suddenly she realized something:

She _did _know where Pierce was.

"Ohmigod," she said incredulously. It felt like suddenly the breath had been knocked out of her.

Pierce's dad seemed to look a tad uncomfortable. "Miss Mastriani…"

That snapped Jess back into the current situation.

"First of all, I have connections with the United States Government, so you are going to be in some very big trouble. Second of all, you need to get this plane to bring me back to Indiana right now. Thirdly, I need to contact with the Isla Huesos police department immediately."

Mr. Pierce's dad seemed to perk up immensely.

"You found her! Oh I must tell her mother right away. Where is she?"

"I'm not telling you," Jess said, crossing her arms. It may have seemed childish, but Jess new better than to let a parent interfere. Especially if it involved a teenage runaway and the boyfriend. "The parents always mess things up. I'm going to need to the police."

His stupid smile vanished from his face.

"She ranaway," Jess shrugged as if that would explain it. "You think the minute her dad appears she's not going to bolt."

'Pierce did not runaway," his eyes narrowed. Of course now she would have to go through the My Child Isn't That Kind of Person act.

"Just let me tell the police. Then turn this plane around so I can go home, _capiche_?"

He glared even more menacingly at her. "Oh no. You're not going anywhere until my Pierce is found safe and sound."

Whoa. "Uh, excuse me, but I'm getting married in like five days. I'm kind of tied up at the moment. The groom probably thinks I got cold feet and jetted." Once she said that, a cold feeling suddenly crept into her stomach. What if that was what everyone thought right now? What if they thought she left on purpose?

But the motorcycle in pieces on the Indiana highway…

"They probably think you're dead," Mr. Pierce's dad finished the thought for her out loud.

"I need to call my mom and Rob right now." She yelled at him. "Then I need to call the Isla Huesos police. They can find Pierce and arrest your ass at the same time."

He didn't seem so phased by her threat. "Why don't you just tell them in person. I'd like to welcome you to Isla Huesos, Florida."

"I hate it," Jess mumbled.

"That makes two of us."

It was then that his phone rang did he let go of Jess' arm after stepping out of the plan that Jess ran as fast she could from this guy.

She didn't look back to see if he was following her.

When she was far enough away, she saw a payphone. Just a quick call and she could be back on a plane to Indiana, where no doubt her mom was crying over what she thought happened to her only daughter.

But then she thought about Pierce Oliviera's mom. And how upset she must be.

"Oh this better just be quick," Jess said to herself.

Florida was not Indiana, that much could be said for sure. In Indiana nobody rallied in the streets to celebrate death day or whatever it was they had going on. It was some festival Jess had seen the advertisements plastered all over the small community before arriving in the center of the town. People were dressed up in an odd assortment of clothing. Jess could have sworn they were celebrating Halloween.

Despite the exhilarating crowd, and the many obstacles—mainly consisting of people throwing food in her face to "test out"—Jess found exactly what she wanted surrounded by what she disliked more than most things. There Pierce Oliviera was right in the middle of Isla Huesos chatting it up with a cheerleader.

Just like that, the fear Jess had harbored about Pierce being in mortal peril vanquished. She got kidnapped for _this_?

Pierce was still talking with the cheerleader. Jess suddenly became aware that this cheerleader was also fitting the Halloween spirit, splattering her outfit with fake blood. However, dead cheerleaders brought back less than happy memories for Jess, so she quickly brought her attention to the task at hand.

Scanning the crowd, she found what she was looking for. Assuming that Pierce had run off on her own, and came back for a friendly visit, Jess suspected that the guy from her dream would be nearby. Guys who get girls to runaway from home without a trace were typically clinging and possessive enough to not let the girl of their dreams out of sight for too long. He was brooding in a corner. He was tall and strong, taller and stronger than Rob was, and definitely more brutal looking than Jeff Day.

And kept his eyes pierced on well, Pierce.

This wouldn't be any easy rescue mission.

She couldn't just swoop in, grab Pierce, and get out without anyone noticing. No one could notice because then Jess would be the girl who found Pierce Oliviera all the way in Florida. Pierce's name was already flooded in the press. Her rescuer would be too. And how could Jess say she just happened to find Pierce, who lived all the Florida, when she had been in all the way not in Florida?

_The Spark Re-ignites! Lightning Girl Returns! _She could envision the headlines already. And she really, really didn't want headlines. This was going to stay out of the press, and Jess was going to stay under the radar the way she liked it.

The idea came to her when someone thrust a Cap'n's' Morgans' Ra Ra Raspberry Whiskey Wonder into her hand, and walked away before she could decline. And then she found herself _much _closer to a now cheerleader-less Pierce than she intended.

"Ohmigod I am so sorry! Look at the mess I made! Here let me help you clean that up!" Jess exclaimed much more enthusiastically than was needed as she looked at the huge red stain taking over Pierce's shirt. She gripped her elbow and pulled her into the bathroom, slamming the door behind them. And locking it for good measure. Then situating herself in front of it.

"It's really not that big of a deal," Pierce said, eyeing the bathroom. She didn't wait for Jess to help her with the shirt, and began matting the stain down with water.

"Use this," Jess handed her the Tide-to-Go she carried around with her. What? She used to work the steam table at Joe Jr.'s, and had become very acquainted with ruined clothing. Old habits die hard. "I know your shirt isn't a big deal, but running away from home? That's pretty significant."

The easer pen felt on the floor. Pierce whirled around, looking defeated when she realized Jess was blocking her exit.

"It's not like that-"

Jess rolled her eyes. "I don't care what it's like, Pierce. But your parents do. And they called me so I could bring you home. So let's get a move on."

Pierce shook her head, looking like she's about to burst into tears.

"I already went home, okay? They'll know I'm safe now."

_How old was this girl, anyway?_ Jess wondered. She looked to be at least sixteen, seventeen, probably not eighteen, but she was acting about twelve.

"Look, Pierce, I want to help you out. And you gotta go home. You can't runaway with some guy-"

"He's not just some guy!" She shouted, sounding hysterical. "I love him, not that it's any of your business." She said the last part a bit shortly. She stood up straight, walking closer to Jess. She had to be at least five inches taller, but that wasn't much to brag about. Size did not intimidate Jess Mastriani. Jess had been beating the crap out of people double her stature since kindergarten in order to cower to this girl. Though as of recent years she had retired her physical enforcements, replacing them with more diplomatic ways.

That didn't mean she wouldn't punch the girl in throat if the circumstance called for it.

"I'm sure you love him," Jess agreed, toying with then ends of her hair. God she couldn't wait to get married and get a hair cut. The Florida humidity was not being kind to her longer locks.

Pierce must have sensed the sarcasm in her voice. "No you don't get it. We love each other. He's protecting me."

"Let me guessed he asked you to runaway with him?" Jess needed to shake this girl's idea.

Pierce swallowed hard. "Well not exactly…."

Well this was getting interesting. "So he took you against your will?"

Pierce didn't answer. She couldn't even look Jess in the eye anymore.

"It's just I knew where he was going to take me, and I didn't like it the last time I was there." She admitted, "but I like there now. It suits our relationship, if you really think about because I wasn't sure about him at first, but now I am. I love him." She seemed a bit embarrassed at her sudden rush of words.

Jess gave Pierce an incredulous look. "Okay Pierce that is very heartfelt, but let's get this show on the road. C'mon."

"You don't understand!" This time Pierce was hysterical. "I can't go back. I have to do this. I can't go back to them. It's dangerous. I told Uncle Chris that. He understands."

Jess grabbed Pierce's wrist, and opened the door. "Try not to make a scene." And then they were back at the fiesta.

"Stop!" Pierce begged, although not loud enough to draw attention. "You don't understand. John will be mad. Nothing, and I mean _nothing_ will stop him from finding me! You're only putting yourself in danger!" She tried to pull her arm away, but Jess was expecting that, only holding tighter.

"You don't get it!" Pierce repeated for what had to the millionth time. "If you don't let me go, _he's going to hurt you_."

"Sounds like you got yourself a real catch," Jess answered in return. She may have caught a glimpse of the well-built man, but that hardly phased Jess. She hadn't gotten struck by lightning, almost gotten her head bashed in inside of a cave, took on a psycho football player, raided a notorious white supremacist's headquarters, sought out terrorists throughout the Middle East, and busted an underage porn ring to be scared off by some teenager's angry boyfriend.

"He's trying to protect me," she sniffed. "You just don't understand. You can't let yourself get caught up in my mess. I don't want you to get hurt too."

Jess didn't care to continue the conversation. Instead she brought Pierce into an alley, where she could get through the crowd of people easier, and get this kid to police cruiser that had to be lurking around due to the massive festival going down.

Of course that was before Jess realized she walked straight into six foot three inches of massive chaos.

"John!" Well at least Pierce sounded relieved.


	2. The Suze Solution

"It's really too goddamn hot here. I don't know how you stand it."

"Nana, the news said it felt like it is going to be one hundred and eighteen degrees in Brooklyn. It's only eighty four here."

"_Californians_," the older woman said distastefully, flipping through the files she had been carrying around with her since she got there. "If I knew you'd turn in to such a West Coaster, I'da made you live with me." Her voice may have sounded harsh and accusing, but Suze knew better. Nana was just joking again. Sarcasm and insults were Nana's way of approval and love. "_Christ, _Andy, these are a helluva of load of pancakes!"

"_Anne_," Suze's mother cried. Nana's crude tongue always ended up with her mother in distress.

"You remarried well, I'll tell you that. Even if he does look like a Californian."

Her mom smiled a little at that. Suze had to agree. Andy was a good guy. Good enough for her mom, at least. Although he was a tad stricter when it came to punishment than her mom ever was, but as an eighteen—practically nineteen—year old, her days of getting grounded were officially over.

Well mostly because she lived in a dorm room, and not her old bedroom.

Before Nana could put forth another witty retort, her phone started chiming like no end in sight. This was the fifth time so far during the Sunday morning brunch that it had preceded to do so. And every time resulted with Nana pressing the ignore button after saying a few choice words that could make a sailor cringe.

"For God's sake," she cursed. "I'm on vacation!"

Her mom just shook her head. "I don't know why you don't just retire. With your pension, and what you earned from your last case alone is enough for you to get by. And you know you could always move in here… Suze's room is just so beautiful, I'd hate to see it go unused. And we love having you here. Suze never gets to see you anymore…"

Suze wanted to ask just where exactly her mom planned on sticking her when she came home for visits—like she did every weekend. But only because her roommate was driving her up a wall—and the summers. Suze had a meager paying job at the café on campus. She wasn't about to be able to afford a place to live on her own. She couldn't even afford the Steve Madden sunglasses that were just _dying _to frame her face. She managed to hold her tongue. For the time being.

"I'm not goddamn one hundred. Christ! I'm sixty, and don't you get any ideas. The food might be enticing, but this woman is Brooklyn bred." Nana stabbed her banana-ganache filled pancakes with her fork. Then her phone rang again. "I'm on my goddamn vacation. I feel bad for this goddamn bastard, but there isn't jackshit I can do about it." She furiously went back to her food, looking up to Suze. "I'll tell you something, Suze, if you take on the legal field and one of your clients hits the mother load in his business, you better hope that bastard gets a fancy new lawyer." She put some pancake in her mouth.

"I will, Nana." Although Suze did not want to be a lawyer, and much to her mom's disappointment, broadcast journalism was not her major.

With kiss goodbye—and several reminders to not throw parties, especially hot tub parties like Brad had done a few years back—from her mom, and a pat on the shoulder from Andy, the two parental figures departed. They were spending a few days over at Napa Valley.

Throw a party? Honestly. Her grandmother was living at the house! She wasn't just going to throw her Nana on the streets for a few hours. And the last party that was held at the Simon-Ackerman household didn't hold such joyful memories. Unless having Jesse and Paul fight their way through the house in a path of vengeful destruction was one. Oh and the ghost of this guy's brother was also there. Trying to kill his brother.

Yeah, good fun.

"You ever think about spending a semester in New York," Suze was pulled out of her reverie by Nana's question. Her words were softer than her usual Born In Brooklyn voice. Sometimes Suze forgot that her Nana was not just all bark. That she lived in an apartment on 570 Gondola Street by herself, and spent most of her time looking over divorce cases, wrongful termination cases, false drug abuse cases, and breaking and entering cases. Well there was that one other client who kept calling her who seemed to be in a different category.

Sometimes Suze forgot that Nana lived alone without any family halfway across the country.

"I was thinking of maybe coming over again during the summer..." Suze said. Last July she went to Brooklyn for two and a half weeks to visit Gina. All the people that didn't particularly care for Suze before seemed a whole lot more friendly.

They really _do _change after high school.

Nana smiled, bringing her plate to the sink. Suze inwardly groaned, recalling that tonight was her duty to do the dishes. So far the various mixing bowls and pans from Andy's cooking adventure, her plate, Nana's plate, Doc's plate, more plates…

That was a lot of washing.

"So when do I get to meet this famous boyfriend."

"Oh soon. I told him you were in town, and that he better stop working so much, and get over here to meet you."

Well that was probably the worst lie Suze had ever told.

Some things go bump in the night.

Other things prefer the method of crashing right into Suze in the middle of the night.

And most of those some things happen to be ghosts.

All at once, Suze jumped up. And then her pulse followed along rapidly when she took in the figure with blonde hair, a white smile, and the Juniper Serra Mission Academy cheerleading outfit.

"Holy sh-" Suze started, gazing into the icey blue eyes of her former nemesis. Her first enemy that she ever made in Caramel.

"_You_," the ghost spit back at her. Taking in Suze's figure was enough for the girl to rip—that really was the only appropriate word Suze could think of to describe the action—herself off from the spot she crash landed on. She, apparently, was not much happier about the new situation as Suze was.

But no. This couldn't be real. No way. This had to be a dream because just no. No way. Not at all was this happening. This couldn't be happening. And it wasn't. It definitely wasn't. Some weird stuff may have happened to Suze in her life—like seeing dead people and time traveling—but this, no freaking way.

"Jesus what am I getting haunted in my dreams now?" She mumbled to herself. Not to brag or anything, but maybe she was just so exceptional at her mediating that she was being given a new territory.

The blonde crossed her arms. "Out of all the places I could have gone coming back, I land here. I have to see _you _again." She huffed, looking disdainfully around Suze's old bedroom. Part of Suze agreed with her less than impressed glaring. The room was pretty bland now that a lot of her personal things were in her dorm room.

"You're ruining my sleep. Can you keep it down so I can continue this dream in peace," Suze implored. She was not going to deal with ghost attitude during her resting time.

The girl scoffed. "This isn't a dream. As flattering as it might be for _you _to dream about me."

"Oh please, Heather, don't go there with me. I _exercised _you three years ago. When ghosts move on, they do it permanently." Suze said in a bored tone. She knew Heather hadn't been the brightest crayon in the box but really. Plus this was a dream so Heather should at least show some intelligence, seeing as Suze's own brain was controlling the scenario.

Heather rolled her eyes. "Fine," she shrugged, "if this is a dream, then you're going to be living in it for the rest of your life."

And with that Heather disappeared.

For a minute, Suze shut her eyes until she remembered that she was dreaming so it wouldn't make sense for her to try to go back to sleep because she was sleeping.

And then after lying down there for hours, the sun started to rise.

A panicky feeling started to swarm Suze. There was no way she had been sleeping in the past hours, judging by the headache that was engulfing her brain from lack of sleep. The bags under were another testament.

So then what the hell just happened?

There was one person Suze knew she needed to talk to about her fears of Heather returning from the Great Beyond, but she absolutely refused to speak to that person thanks to what he did a few months prior.

Then there was the person that Suze used any excuse to talk to. Only those conversations didn't go too far.

"I need to talk you," Suze said. Forget the sweet talk, the how-are-yous, and the other conversation initiators. She just skipped to the important part. It's not like he wouldn't have seen right through her anyway. He always did.

Jesse, on the other hand, didn't look as though he cared for Suze's dramatics today. He simply just sighed. "Can't this wait until my lunch break?"

Oh so he thought this was going to be about the Unspeakable Event.

"It's not about _that_," she insisted. Jesse looked skeptical, but of course, Jesse being Jesse cared enough to give her his full attention. Not there was really that much going on to divide it. Seriously there was nobody in the Caramel Historical Society.

"You remember Heather right? The first ghost—well besides you, I mean—that-"

"That you tried to—what was it again?" He contemplated for a moment, but Suze knew he knew exactly what she did. "Oh yes, I believe you attempted to perform an exorcism on Heather-"

"A Brazilian one," Suze clarified, trying her best not to smile at the memory. As terrifying as it was, it was the first time that Jesse proved he would always be there for Suze. Not that she would ever admit she needed rescuing.

"If I recall correctly, you also almost took down the school?" Suze had to fight her smile even harder when she realized that Jesse was fighting his own. Nowadays he rarely—if ever—smiled around her presence.

Suze did a dramatic eye roll; to say _well not intentionally but yes that _may _have happened_. However reminiscing the past was not what Suze came here for, sad as that might be. She wanted Jesse to remember. Remember how he helped her way back when. How they first met, how he almost died twice but lived thanks to her.

How he loved her.

And why that shouldn't be past tense but it is.

"I saw her again." Suze said, not quite being able to look at him. She wasn't sure if it was because Heather appearing was just that ridiculous, or if it was because of the thoughts she just had. Probably both. "Last night. She just appeared in my bedroom."

"Suze," his voice sounded dubious. She knew Jesse would never outright call her a liar. He was just so _chivalrous _and polite and nice and every single other adjective in between, but she also knew what he meant with just saying her name. It was more like he was saying impossible. Suze was inclined to agree with that.

"I know it's ridiculous, alright? But it's true!"

"Suze-"

"Is it really that hard to believe. I mean, it could happen."

"Suze-"

"I'm not saying that it happens to everyone, but maybe it was the exorcism. I probably did it wrong. Or maybe it didn't work because you interrupted me, and it got messed, and she finally figured it out."

"Suze-"

"And I'm not saying it was your fault, so don't even go there. Because I know it was basically my fault because I did it on my own, and I didn't tell anyone. And I just messed up."

"Suze-"

"So what I'm saying is that it was my fault okay, Jesse? I messed up! I already know that!" She shouted, catching the attention of a tourist who had entered into the building.

"Susannah!" His voice finally snapped her out of her rambling. She wasn't even sure she was talking about Heather anymore. "Nobody is accusing you of anything-"

For some reason something in Suze snapped at that statement.

"Oh that's a first coming from you," she said bitterly. Immediately she regretted the words that spilled out of her mouth. Why did she just say that? They were having such a decent conversation, and she just had to go about and dig it a grave. When would she stop messing up?

Before she got the chance to apologize, Jesse spoke up, "I didn't accuse you of anything, however-"

"However! Of course there would be some sort of clause. It can't just be a period! There always has to be something else, doesn't there, Jesse? Always has to be _something _that I did." Instead of thinking why she just said those angry words, Suze just felt, well, angry. Everything was always about what she did wrong, and how she just couldn't do anything right.

"Maybe it's not just my fault. Maybe this isn't just about me," she added.

His facial expression looked grim. He crossed his arms over his chest in what Suze would describe as hostile body language.

"Suze, I know longer believe we are speaking of Heather, in fact I believe you are referring to _that_, to which you claimed to not to be speaking of. I strongly advise you leave the premise, unless there is something you need assistance with occurring here at the Historical Society. I wish to remain professional on my job. Arguing with you over the past is not part of my employment."

Suze didn't say anything to that. Instead she stomped her way out of the building, ignoring his speech of professionalism or whatever he was getting at.

She tried to ignore the pang she felt in her chest.

She tried to ignore the fact Jesse was still calling her Suze, not Susannah.

She tried to ignore that she wasn't his _querida _anymore.

It wasn't just Heather that paid Suze an unexpected and unwanted visit.

Two weeks later, and no sign of Heather, she might add, the former Mrs, Ackerman made a guess appearance in Suze's dorm room. This time the woman wasn't wailing with a profound amount of volume, she was merely sniffing, murmuring about her poor babies. It took all of Suze's willpower to not tell her to just shut up, and leave her be.

Then there was the ghost of Angelo Bicardi, whom Suze had guided to his next great adventure when she was twelve, appearing to her while she was trying to serve up the most complicated order of café—God forbid if her boss caught her calling the beverage the oh-so unsophisticated, _normal _word of coffee—that she ever had to deal with. He was still complaining about how young people dress nowadays.

She couldn't forget how Maggie Mcevan appeared while she was in the shower, asking her what the hell was going on, where she could contact a cab, and who gave the best tips around this goddamn place.

And just like the all the other three that Suze had already mediated, she _poofed! _away before Suze could mediate or attempt to do anything for her.

Suze wanted to talk to someone about this. She tried Father Dom, but he was on some Vatican retreat, and had no idea how to answer the cell phone he had been given in case of emergency. Grandpa Slaski was temporarily enjoying some time with his extensive amount of at-home nurses at some vacation spot…

And the only person that Suze wanted to talk to was Jesse, and he sort of hated her so that was out of the question.

She sort of hated him too. Okay, not really.

Okay not at all.

She just hated herself for doing what she did.

Only she had to remind herself that it wasn't just her fault. She had to remind herself that maybe she made a huge ass mistake that she regretted so much, but it's not like their relationship was all kittens and roses at that point. He had gone off to Mexico or whatever for the entire semester. He didn't even talk to her about it until three days before. He just went. Suze didn't want to be _that _kind of girlfriend, but it's not like that's the sort of thing you just do without at least confiding in your girlfriend, who kind of saved you from dying.

And then he was just so busy studying and building houses or whatever he was doing in Mexico that they were barely speaking. And then It Happened, and of course, Jesse being the kind of stand up guy that Jesse is just had to come back to apologize that second because he was just that sorry for acting like a jerk.

_Ugh!_

Suze huffed.

No matter how many times she tried to apologize, there seemed to never be any sort of repair to their relationship.

It was a vicious cycle of never-ending frustration that had been plaguing her since March.

"_I know you're sorry, Suze. Perhaps it's just better if we give it time."_

"_It is not that I don't forgive you, it is just that I believe this is for the better."_

"_I'm too tired to bring this up right this minute, Suze, maybe some other time."_

"_Let it go, Suze."_

"_You'll always be important to me, but we should let time pass."_

"_I don't want another relationship right now."_

"_It's over. Maybe it is just better this way."_

And then after he said all those things, another fight would break out between them.

Every. Single. Time.

Suze wondered if it killed him as much as it killed her every time they parted.

"Is this still about, Jesse?" Gina's rather annoyed voice said on the other end of the phone on the other side of the country. "Would you leave him alone for five minutes? He might actually forgive you if you stopped pestering him."

"No," Suze lied. "This is a new guy."

"Really?" Gina could already sense the lie. "What's his name?"

"Uh, it's, uhm Juan."

"Right so Juan won't forgive you for-"

"Oh forget it, Gina, I have to go." Suze hung up the phone. She may not have been able to let her family know about her break up with Jesse—though she preferred to think of it as a slight tear in the fabric of relationships that would soon be mended with the needle and thread of love and caring. In her wildest dreams, at least—she had confided in her small group of friends for advice.

All four of them. One being a priest, another living all the way across the country.

"So this guy, Juan, you said his name was?" CeeCee questioned over the phone. Hey Suze was desperate to talk to anyone, so three minutes after her phone call with Gina ended, she found herself dialing her other best friend's number.

Unfortunately, she sounded as if she trusted Juan as Suze's ex as much as Gina.

"Yes, my ex-boyfriend, Juan, whom I am still in love with."

CeeCee didn't answer right away. She sighed, "Suze, give it up. Everyone knows you're still brooding over Jesse. And don't—" CeeCee warned, detecting Suze's automatic response to defend her incessant demand that it was not about Jesse but about Juan—"give me excuses about it being otherwise."

Before Suze could argue, CeeCee jumped in again, "I mean it, Simon, keep your mouth shut, and let me talk." Even though CeeCee couldn't see it, Suze slumped her shoulders, sinking down on her tiny dorm bed.

"Fine," she responded miserably.

"No interruption!" CeeCee demanded.

"Sorry!"

"What did I just say?" This time Suze kept her mouth shut, not particularly excited about what was probably going to be a lecture about her relationship with Jesse. As if Jesse hadn't been giving her enough of those as of recently. At least CeeCee, Adam, and Gina were more sympathetic to her cause. Father Dom made her confess her sins.

"I love you, Suze, you know that. And deep down in your extremely complicated heart, and somewhere in that brain, which I know holds some of the former intelligence of my kickass friend used to be so well equipped with knows that Jesse still loves you." Suze made a noise of protest, but CeeCee wasn't having it. "I'm not finished yet, Simon. C'mon Suze you know he loves you. Despite the wondrous amount of flaws you have. Your history is too complicated for him to just give up on you like that." Suze swallowed, remembering the extremely long—and truthful—explanation she had finally given to CeeCee about her and Jesse.

Thankfully CeeCee accepted it.

A few months later.

"I know I'm not the most experienced girl out there in the relationship department, but I can only offer you some advice. You wanna hear it?"

Suze nodded, but realized CeeCee wouldn't see it so answered that yes, some advice would be beautiful to hear.

"'_If you love something let it go. If it's meant to be, it will come back to you.'"_

Both ends of the line were quiet for a few minutes.

"That was deep, Cee. Thanks." It sounded almost familiar. Suze wondered if she picked it up from a book or a movie.

But could Suze actually do that? Could she really let Jesse go?

She didn't think she could. What if he didn't come back? Could she really live without him? Not to sound like a clingy or desperate—not that she wasn't feeling desperate—girl. Because she certainly didn't want to be one of _those _girls who shut down after her boyfriend left her.

It wasn't like that. Not with Jesse.

Is that what all those other girls thought too?

She was in love with him. She wouldn't let him die when she went back in time, thinking that if she did that she would never have even met him.

Honestly!

But after nearly six months…

Well maybe she shouldn't be hounding him.

Okay she knew she shouldn't be.

She had worked through this before. Back when he was still a ghost. They made it work back then so why was it so hard to do this when he was living? Why did everything in Suze's life contain a clause?

Why couldn't it just be Suze and Jesse forever. Period. No buts, ifs, ands, ors.

Not:

Suze and Jesse forever?

No question marks.

"You know where I heard that?" Cee said softly, so uncharacteristically for her. She didn't wait for Suze's answer. "When Adam and I were having trouble because of the long distance between us. Adam… he told me that you said that to him."

_Oh._

"And you know what Suze?"

"What, Cee?" Suze felt the emotion build in her throat.

"I came back to him."

_Oh._

Suze's predicament with Jesse did not change much. She kept her distance following her friend's advice—technically it was Suze's own advice. Damn she really didn't like her advice that much anymore—since their conversation. She hadn't returned to Caramel the following weekend, much to her mom's insistence.

"But Susie! You really should be seeing your Nana, she came all the way here to see you-"

"Christ, I'll just call her on the goddamn phone." Nana's voice loudly answered her mom's own protests. "I'll do the texting and the twittering."

Well that settled that then.

Instead Suze found herself suffering through a biology seminar. Unfortunately.

"Damn, Simon. I never thought you were the biology kind of girl. I find you to be more of the chemistry kind. All experiments and explosions and action. None of this boring, plain old memorizing."

Suze felt herself freeze.

"Don't be so shocked to see me, Simon. I know it's happening to you too. And," Paul Slater continued speaking to her from his seat behind her own. "I just missed you so much. It's been what? Six months?"

_AN: Thanks to all who have reviewed. Just a head's up that if you're looking for news on updates, you should check my livejournal (binxabii). There's a link on my profile. I tend to update my stories on there first. This chapter has actually been written and published there since August, I believe. I'm just super lazy._

_Chapter 3 is in the works, so prayer circle for me to finish it soon. _

_-b_


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